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Jury finds man not guilty of raping Fargo woman

FARGO - A Cass County jury on Thursday found a 40-year-old man not guilty of rape after deliberating for about two hours.

Jildo Alau Uyin, 40, faced a Class AA felony charge of gross sexual imposition after a Sept. 14 party in Fargo. He was accused of punching a 25-year-old Fargo woman in the mouth and knocking her down before raping her in a bathroom at a party, court documents state.

Uyin told police the sex was consensual. He faced a potential sentence of up to life without parole.

Uyin, who has been in custody since Dec. 26 in lieu of $100,000 cash or bond bail, was released from jail after the verdict.

He hugged his defense attorney, Steve Mottinger, and shook prosecutor Ryan Younggren's hand after the verdict was read. Mottinger said he was pleased with the verdict, adding Uyin had maintained his innocence from the start.